Price display devices employing precoiled indicia strips and holders or guideways for such strips are known in the prior art. Examples of such prior art teachings are contained in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,939,584; 4,095,359; and 4,258,490 issued to Trame. An objective of the present invention is to provide a display device of this general character which has improved utility in a number of respects and which eliminates certain recognized drawbacks of the prior art structures.
More particularly, in the prior art, one of the problems frequently encountered is the inadvertent separation and/or breakage of components by personnel not adequately qualified to adjust or repair the display device. Another common problem in the prior art is frequent misalignment or shifting of pricing modules on their support structures or accidental removal of the module from the support structure while changing prices. In the prior art, buckling and/or bulging of the precoiled pricing tapes frequently occurs. Additionally, some of the prior art devices are restricted to one type of menu system.
The present invention eliminates the above and other deficiencies of the known prior art through the provision of a menu and price display device having uniquely formed pricing modules of either two-piece or one-piece construction, each possessing a simplified finger operated spring locking element which can engage any of a series of locator notches provided along the mounting trackway for the pricing modules, preferably in the vertical wall thereof. The locations of pricing modules can be quickly changed with precision and without removing the module from the mounting trackway assembly.
The improved pricing modules provided in the present invention enable total control of pricing tape placement, that is, each tape is locked on four sides. The pricing module provides an illuminated decimal point. Its precoiled numeric indicia tape can be conveniently operated from the rear of the assembly without removing the display structure from a provided frame or cabinet.
In addition to these specific improvements, the present invention is characterized by simplicity and economy of construction, durability, versatility and convenience of use.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art during the course of the following detailed description.